Flush-tank and means for operating same.



N0. 688,942. Patented Dec. I7, IQUII. F. 6L F. H. ENGELHARD.

FLUSH TANK AND MEANS FR OPERATING SAME.

(Application filed June 1B, 1900.)

(N0 Model.)

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artnr nieren.

MASSACHUSETTS.

FLUSl'l-TANK AND MEANS FOR OPERATING SAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 688,942, dated December 1'?, 1901.

l I Application filed June 18, 1900. Serial No. 2016341 (N model-.l

` To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK ENGELHARD and FREDERICK H. ENGELHARD, citizens of the United States of America, and residents of Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have jointly invented new and useful Improvements in Flush-Tanks and Means for Operating the Same, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and letters of reference marked thereon.

The object of our invention is to provide a construction which will be automatic in operation, in which all danger of overflow is avoided, in which the amount of water employed maybe accurately gaged; and,further, our object is to provide a device which shall be free from the objectionable features heretofore obtained in tanks and tank-valve constructions and means for operation of the same.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure l is a vertical sectional view of our improved device, and Fig. 2 is a perspective View of a'portion of the let-off mechanism.

Generally, cindicates the tank; b, the inlet'- conduit; c, the outlet-conduit; d, the outletvalve; e, the air-outlet starting-conduit; f, the valve-rod; g, the float; h, the air-inlet valve; z', the trip-rod; j, lug; 7r, the latch; Z, let-off lever; m, air-outlet or starting-valve.

The construction and operation of our device areas follows: The tank is closed except for the inlet and outlet openings for air and water herein explained. The water enters through the conduit b, and as the ltank gradually fills the float g moves upwardly,as indic'ated in dotted lines, until it reaches'a point adjacent to the collar on the rod j'. At this point the air in the upper portion of the tank has been compressed sufficiently, so that the pressure in the tank, and consequently on the outlet-valve, is sufficient to overcome the buoyancy or lifting power of the float, the area of the outlet-valve being of such an extent that the pressure upon it maintains this valve in its closed position against the lifting power of the float. The water continues to iiow into tank through the inlet-conduit until the pressure in the tank equals that of the supply-pipe, (unless the pressure in the supply-pipe is reduced by the employment of a reducing pressure-valve or other regulator,) and when the pressure in the tank equals the pressure at which the water enters the tank the water will cease to iiow into the tank and the contents will remain in that condition with the compressed air above the surface of the water until the pressure is reduced by allowing a portion of the compressed air to escape, thus reducing the pressure in the tank until the pressure upon the outlet-valve is reduced below the lifting power of the float, :at which time the float operates to lift the outlet-valve. When, therefore, it is desired to empty the tank, it simply becomes necessary to provide a means for the escape of a portion of the air in the tank under pressure, thus allowing the water to flow through the outlet-pipe until the iioat reaches the lower position, as shown in full lines, when the outlet-valve closes, as hereinafter described, and the water Hows in through the inlet-conduit, thus raising the float until it reaches the point where the pressure of water and air balances. As a means for permitting the escape of the air we prefer to provide a valve m, having a conduit e eX- tending to a point above the surface of the water in the tank and opening into the outlet-conduit, and we prefer to operate this valve with a lever-cord. It may, however, be operated in any convenient manner. It will now be seen that if the lever e be moved downwardly at its free end this will operate to open the valve m and allow air to escape from the tank, thus reducing the air-pressure in the tank, allowing the float to rise and open the outlet-valve d, as before described. The rod fis provided with a series of teeth n, and a dog 7c is arranged to engage the teeth n, and thus maintain the valve-rod at an elevated point until substantially all of the water has escaped from the tank. A weighted rod 5 is pivotally mounted, as shown, with anose or point in engagement with the part o, the lower end of the' rod t' being bent inwardly, so as to lie in the path of the float.

When the iioat moves upwardly,the weighted rod i will occupy the position indicated in dotted lines, thus throwing the parto toward the ratchet n and holding the same in engage- TOO ment with said ratchet-teeth until forcibly withdrawn therefrom. The engaging nose of the part o is pivotally mounted, so that when the nose is in engagement with the ratchetteeth the rod f is free to move upwardly, but

is restrained from downward movement, so that the rod f and valveattached thereto are maintained in an elevated position until the float has followed the surface of the water downwardly to a point where it engages the pivotal rod t' and moves the same to the position shown in full lines, thus drawing the dog out of engagement with the ratchet-teeth and allowing the valve-rod f and valve d to fall by gravity to their lowest point, thus closing the outlet-valve.

It will of course be seen that a spring may be arranged to force the valve and valve-rod to the closed position; but we find that gravity causes it to operate successfully, and unless the position of the parts be changed the employment of a spring to force the outletvalve closed is unnecessary.

To facilitate the rapid iiow of the water from the tank, it becomes necessary to provide a free inlet of air, and to produce this result we provide an automatic air-inlet valve h, which valve opens inwardly, as shown in the drawings, and as the water escapes from the tank the partial vacuuml thus formed is filled by the rush of air inwardly through the air-valve h. When, however, the tank is emptied and the pressure both within and without'the tank are substantially the same, a-springl automatically closes the air-inlet valve 71, and it will of course be seen that pressure in the'tank tends to maintain this Valve closed, while superior external pressure tends to open it.

While any convenient means for allowing the air under pressure in the tank to escape maybe employed, we prefer the arrangement herein shown, as such arrangement provides means for safely carrying away the overflow, if any, in case the water should accidentally reach a point above the point required for the proper operation of the device, so that it will! readily be seen that any water that may either spatter or reach a point of elevation equal to the upper end of the outlet-tube e will pass down through the tube e and escape finally into the outlet-conduit c.

` The arrangement of the dog and nose or latch thereon is shown detached in Fig. 2, on a'larger scale'than in Fig. l and in slightly modified form. The mechanical operation,

Fig. l, except that a spring is provided to maintain the latch or nose Zo of the part 0 in a lowered position instead of relyingl upon gravity to accomplish this result. It will be observed that by this construction a cushionv is formed-that is to say, the water-chamber, with the air therein, operates as an air-chamber, cushioning the water system and doing away with the'disagreeable and objectionable hammer found in many other systems where no cushioning device is employed. It willlalso be observed that this cushion construction does away, to a large extent, with danger of the pipes bursting when the contents become frozen,as it allows for expansion.

Having therefore described our invention,

what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of an air-tight tank, inlet and outlet water and air conduits connected therewith, a valve as d arranged to close the water-outlet conduit, a valve-rod connected with the water-outlet valve, a I'ioat ar- `ranged to raise the rod and open the valve,

mechanism to hold the rod in'an elevated position when in engagement with said mechanism, a trip-lever arranged inthe path of teeth n, the trip-rod t' being carried inwardly in the path of the float, means to permitair to escape from the tank and an automatic airinlet valve, substantially as shown.r

' 3. The combination of a closedtank, inlet and outlet water-conduits connected therewith, a valve arranged to close the water-outlet conduit, a rod as f inoperative connecranged to open the water-outlet valve when air is allowed to escape from'the tank, means to maintain the water-outlet valve open whenV the float is moved downwardly, a trip-lever `arranged in the path of the iioat whereby the Qrod is released by contactV of the float with the trip-lever as the iioat moves downwardly, :an automatically operating.v air -inlet Valve Snormally closing a valve-opening in the tank 2above highwater level, an air-'outlet and overow conduit extending from a point above normal high-water level in the tank to 2a point below the tank, anV operating-valve arranged in saidlast-mentioned conduit, and a conduit extending from said operating- .valve to the main outlet-conduit,substantia1ly fas shown.

however, is substantially that as shown in 4. The combination of a closed tank, inlet and outlet conduits, a rod f connected .therewith, the latter being provided witha stop to limit the upward motionof the float, a sliding piece o arranged to move toward and from `the teeth on the rodf, tip 7c pivotally mounted gaging the latter, said lever t' extending downwardly and inwardly in the path of the float, whereby the dog is disconnected from the Ido tion with the water-outlet valve, a float ar- IZO whereby the Waterloutlet valve Will be opened When the air-outlet valve is opened, and means to retain the water-outlet valve open until the contents of the tank are substantially exhausted, and means to release said retaining mechanism when the contents of the tank are exhausted beyond a predetermined pont, substantially as shown.

FRANK ENGELHARD. FREDERICK I-I. ENGELHARD. Witnesses:

DEXTER E. TILLEY, W. A. ENGELHARD. 

